A woman in FishHawk Florida had a feeling something was amiss and decided to trust her gut. Her intuition led her to save two lives.
She says she does not want to be known or called a hero because she did something she hopes anyone in a situation like hers would do.
37-year-old David Daniels was arrested for the attempted kidnapping of two children. In the chilling details of the attempted kidnapping that have surfaced since the incident, officials believe it began at Cherry’s Bar and Grill in FishHawk’s park square.
David Daniels told two children he would be supervising their walk home. The woman who stepped in and put an end to the attempt said, “I saw two children on their bicycles and a male adult behind them.” She chooses not to be identified for her brave act.
She said she was near a church when she saw something unsettling. Officials say Daniels at that point had already hit one of the kids multiple times on his head. Both children were of elementary school age. He also had the other child in a headlock.
“One of the little girls was mouthing to me, ‘Please help me, this is not my dad,’” said the woman, which solidified her suspicion and made her act.
She decided to then engage the alleged kidnapper in conversation to buy herself time.
“He was kind of talking over her, right behind her, putting his arm around her neck and saying something in her ear, saying, ‘We just moved here, we just want to see how we can help do whatever you’re doing,'” the woman recalled.
She played along and welcomed them to the area and asked them to come into the church. Trying to stall until she could have a chance to call 911.
She recalled her conversation with the alleged kidnapped, “I engaged in conversation with him,” she said. “I said, ‘Oh that’s nice, where did you move here from?’ He said, ‘Oh, I am not really sure.’”
After this brief conversation, he abandoned his attempt at kidnapping. Officials found him walking back towards downtown.
The children say they believe he was attempting to kidnap them. Their mother is speaking out about this horrific incident to make sure other parents are alert as to this grave possibility.
“There are moms out there who are like me. They are going to recognize the signs, and they are going to know what to do,” she said. “In that moment, I didn’t know if I was going to have the right answer. But they are fine, and they are home today,” she finished.
Daniels was apprehended by officials and is currently being held in Hillsborough County Jail on a bond of $104,000.
The timely actions of this brave woman potentially saved two lives.
Wish this hero a good job for her brave actions and share her story to inspire others!
